Hiring a top Supreme Court lawyer in India has become a luxury only the rich can afford.
Reports say that many leading advocates charge a minimum of ₹1 lakh per minute for high-profile political cases, with a minimum hearing time of 10 minutes.
When such lawyers travel to cities like Hyderabad or Vijayawada for hearings, they often fly in private jets, and the hospitality offered is lavish — something only wealthy politicians or industrialists can afford.
For ordinary citizens, this kind of legal help is far out of reach. There are hardly any top-level lawyers available to represent poor or middle-class people in the Supreme Court.
Three years ago, during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, then Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju admitted that the government finds it difficult to regulate or cap lawyers’ fees.
He agreed that many fees are "exorbitant" and not affordable for the common man. He had also once suggested that top lawyers take up more pro bono (free) cases for the poor and needy.
But little seems to have changed. As things stand today, justice at the highest level remains a privilege for the rich, not a right for all.
